Thursday's auction of more than 400 pieces from the Higgins Armory Museum generated nearly $1 million more than what was expected.

The auction held in London by Thomas Del Mar Ltd, an affiliate of Sotheby's Auction House, brought in $2,158,000. James C. Donnelly Jr., Higgins Museum board of trustees president, said the high end of the estimate was 800,000 British pounds or about $1.2 million.

“It's about the highest amount that I dared hope for and much higher than the highest published estimates, which is good,” Mr. Donnelly said.

The trustees announced March 8 that the 82-year-old museum would shut its doors for good Dec. 31. The unique collection will be integrated into the Worcester Art Museum. An inadequate endowment and the cost of maintaining the five-story glass-and-steel castle-like building on Barber Avenue — which has lead to an annual $350,000 to $400,000 operating deficit — are said to be the reason for closing.

Mr. Donnelly said, as directed by the art collection policy, the money from the auction will go into the collections fund, not into the general endowment or operating funds.

The collection fund can be used for limited purposes, including reinvesting in new objects for the collection or in some cases, caring for objects that are in the collection.

The money, he said, will likely follow the remaining collection to the Worcester Art Museum.

He said the objects that were auctioned are not the valuable pieces. They are objects that least deserve to stay in the collection. He said they might not be in good condition, or in some cases they are among several examples of the same thing. The museum, he said, relies on highly qualified experts to help in selecting which items to auction.

Clarinda Higgins, a granddaughter of museum founder John Woodman Higgins, said she was able to purchase one piece at the auction through a telephone bidder.

She said she paid about $1,900 for a miniature breastplate that was made in Venice. She said her grandfather must have brought it back for his collection. It was etched with “Worcester Pressed Steel Co.,” which was formerly owned by her grandfather.

The 64-year-old Westport, Conn., resident is adamant that the museum should remain open. She said she will be among the 70 incorporators who will attend the annual meeting at the museum at Wednesday afternoon to take a vote on whether to endorse the move.

Her goals, she said, are to keep the museum in its historic home, direct trustees to mount a serious national endowment campaign and explore ways to modernize the infrastructure that protects these internationally treasured assets.

“The problems the board talks about, they let them drag them down,” Ms. Higgins, a trained educator, said in a telephone interview Thursday. “I have the same spirit as my grandfather. A problem to me is a challenge. And, I don't think the board has looked at the two problems: the low endowment fund and building occupancy cost as a challenge ... as an inspiration to do something about. The auction just shows the remarkable international attention of this collection.”

Information about the auction is at www.thomasdelmar.com.

Contact Elaine Thompson at ethompson@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter at EThompsonTG